Some farmers work with corrupt officials, says Cele on stock theft issue

Police Minister Bheki Cele says the issue of stock theft must be dealt with by both farmers and South African Police Service (SAPS).

Addressing the Rural Safety Summit, in Parys, Free State, on Monday, Cele said while farmers had accused police officers of corruption and stealing livestock, some farmers were working with the corrupt police officers.

“We were called by farmers, very angry in Bethlehem, and we were given a memorandum. It was in Afrikaans. I had to get it translated. We worked together there. The question was raised about the non response of the police and the corruption, which is true,” said Cele.

“There are corrupt people across the society and if we don’t have that mentality to fix the people across society, we’re losing it. This farmer and the son helped the police after they stole the cattle to go and put them in the auction sale because police could not have gone for action,” said the police minister.

“So don’t come here and be clean and think that only one section is naughty. If we don’t deal with that across the sector, it’s not going to happen.”

Cele was referring to a case in which five police officials and two animal stock brokers were arrested in Bloemfontein and Ladybrand by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation in the Free State in July last year.

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According to Cele, the two stock brokers allegedly helped the police officers get the stolen livestock in an auction.

Cele further conceded that the police needed to come up with a new approach to dealing with stock theft because in some areas, officers in the stock theft unit owned livestock themselves, which raised questions.

“We must have a new approach that says police must work there to protect the community, not to enrich themselves out of the misery of the people that are there,” said Cele.